How to choose a translation vendor

When a company identifies a need for documentation to be translated into new languages for both existing and new customers, it is important to ensure it chooses the right translation vendor. To do so, it is necessary to identify options (with associated costs and risks) for meeting current demands, processes for handling future translation requests, and a big-picture strategy for documentation translation needs across product lines and worldwide needs.

Text by Vivian Aschwanden Bernard Aschwanden

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How to choose a translation vendor

A vendor works with you to manage people and processes and to find the right translators based on:

  • Regional needs (Spanish EU/Mexico, French Canada/France, Portuguese EU/Brazil, English US/Australia/England/etc) and/or,
  • Technical needs (Science/Medical/Finance/Tech), works with desktop publishing and verifies all final content against expectations.

Translation memory

Much of the value of translated content is in the translation memory (TM). This is basically a database that contains all previously translated data. It contains source and translated info but does not relate to the formatted (DTP) output. Any vendor should provide a TM to you. You should agree with the vendor as to when it is delivered to you though. Some customers prefer quarterly deliveries, others with each new release of content. Always have your own copy. If a vendor won’t provide it, don’t deal with that ...